A number of new and quite unique organic molecules will be prepared and evaluated. The goal of this work is to define some of the principles and general guidelines necessary to prepare synthetic microenvironments which may control organic chemical reactions. The approaches rely on synthetic methods and procedures created in this lab specifically for preparing organized functional group arrays and concave molecules. Two new systems test the catalytic potential of pre-organized functional group arrays. Another system is designed to evaluate the effects of stress, strain, or distortion on substrate reactivity. In another part of the project, additional binding sites will be attached to successful water soluble hosts in order to enhance the selectivity of these hosts. Specificity of binding is required if a microenvironment is to selectively bind a reactive intermediate or transition state of a reaction. A new molecular system which binds to itself and to trans-decalin is to be further developed. Good alkane binding sites may lead to useful methods of selective alkane functionalization.